


What Lies Beyond the Light

by SlytherinHermione



Series: Letters [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Azkaban, Dirty Talk, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Lawyer Hermione Granger, Mini-Fest, Prisoner Draco Malfoy, QuinTalon's Love at Second Sight Fest, letter correspondence, love at second sight, written dirty talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:47:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28625178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinHermione/pseuds/SlytherinHermione
Summary: The thing about prisons is that it tends to change a you. The person you were when you went in, will not be the person that comes out. Sometimes for the better, oftentimes for the worst.For Draco Malfoy, the scales were tipped when a certain lawyer forced themselves onto his case with the start of one letter.A letter that turned into the type of correspondence where you end up baring your soul to a stranger.A stranger that ends up knowing every little part of you, from the darkest corners, to the sunniest fields - while barely knowing you at all.But then again, Hermione Granger was never really a stranger to begin with.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Series: Letters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2129382
Comments: 36
Kudos: 43
Collections: Love at Second Sight





	What Lies Beyond the Light

**Author's Note:**

> I was delighted when the formidable [QuinTalon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuinTalon/pseuds/QuinTalon) announced that they're starting a Mini Fest - For the Love of Fests - including any creation of your choice - as long as it follows the theme! It felt like just the right thing for me! 
> 
> This Fest has the theme of Love at Second Sight, with the spinning wheel deciding your scenario. I was lucky to get Azkaban - oh man did it get my creative juices flowing! I initially only wanted to make a manip, and when it was done, a story naturally followed. 
> 
> I hope you like it!

They’d shaved his head. Shaved it clean. Every single lock of signature Malfoy blonde hair, cultivated through generations of pure blood - shaved with a cheap muggle razor. They even added a hair removal spell when they were done, - just for the hell of it. 

It wasn’t enough apparently, to have been sentenced to a lifetime spent in the world’s cruelest prison - Azkaban. No, Draco Malfoy was doomed to endure it with a cold head and an added layer to his deep-seated shame. 

And shame was something that he had droves of, piling up with every memory of his past behaviours. His prejudice, his bullying, his ruthlessness, all justified by the Malfoy name. 

In the dark nights, when the lingering essence of long gone Dementors still rose from the stones within his cell, the shame he felt was always followed by regret. If he could be granted a single wish in those moments, he would never say “I want to get out of Azkaban” - no he would wish for redemption by the act of forgiveness from those he’d wronged. 

* * *

One thing about prisons is that they tend to change people. The person you were when you got in, will not be the person you are when you get out. If you ever get out.

Now prisons like Azkaban change you too of course, but the change is different - it's _deeper. Soul deep._

In prison you have time to think about your life, what you've done, what you haven't done, what you should've done, what you wanted to do.

In Azkaban, you get to search your soul for your deepest morals, and find out what you're really made of.

The people that get out of prison come in two sorts. They have either spent their time in that solitude thinking of how they’ve been wronged, and come out plotting for revenge. Or they recount all of the wrongs that they themselves have done, and decided to come out better people.

Draco Malfoy, perhaps surprisingly, was of the latter kind. The shame and regret adding weight to the daily, cold reminder that he had no hair to run his fingers through in frustration, chipped away the bad in him. He often thought that it was sadly wasted on a man that would never get to do any good outside of polishing the stones in his cell. 

This all changed one day when a letter was waiting for him on the tray that held his measly breakfast ration. 

Draco, ever the Slytherin, grew instantly suspicious. He couldn’t fathom who in his life would write him, let alone be allowed to do so. 

His father had died in the final battle at Hogwarts, and his mother followed him not long after, - the official diagnosis being a massive heart attack. Draco always suspected that her life was ended by a broken heart. With no parents or friends to speak of, left him without any guesses as to whose handwriting was spelling out his name in elegant letters on top of the folded parchment. There was nothing for it but to open it up. His curiosity felt like a respite from the usual monotony of Azkaban. 

With shaky hands he opened the missive, and as he read, he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. 

Hermione Granger had written him a letter.

_Mr. Draco Malfoy,_

_I hope this letter finds you well, or as well as can be in a place like Azkaban._

_I am writing to inform you that I have officially taken on your case, and I will be presenting it before the Wizengamot in the coming months. Why, you may ask yourself, am I doing this?_

_You see, Mr. Malfoy, I believe that you were unfairly judged - in fact not judged at all, but rather thrown into prison without a proper trial. I am here now to not only give you the trial that every citizen deserves, lest we become truly an uncivilized society, but to also ensure that you find yourself a free man - hopefully by the end of this month._

_I have a plan, and many questions to ask you._

_This is an enchanted parchment, approved by the Ministry after a hard-won stipulation by me, and you will be provided a special quill once you’re ready to respond to my letter. Once you’re satisfied with your response, simply place the quill on top of the folded parchment, and it will materialize itself in my chambers where I’m working on your case._

_I look forward to hearing from you._

_Hermione Granger_

_Barrister at law_

_Wizengamot_

_Ministry of Magic_

It took him longer than he’d like to admit to gather his wits about him, and to finally pen a response. He marveled at the magic when he placed the beautiful quill on top of the letter, and watched it disappear. 

In the letter he had simply written: _I do not deserve it, but I gladly accept._

* * *

It wasn’t until the day after that another letter waited for him, this time on his dinner tray. Sludge with a side of stale bread. _Scrumptious_ . _The cook must be in a good mood_ , Draco thought. 

He didn’t waste any time opening the note from Granger. His brain was more starved for human interaction of any kind, than his stomach was for the Asphalt Sludge à la Azkaban.

He was holding the beautiful enchanted quill in his hands as he soaked up her words.

_Mr. Malfoy_

_I am very pleased to see that you’ve decided to work with me on your case. It is pertinent that we commence immediately with gathering all of the necessary information that will, no doubt, make sure we win._

_I am well aware that we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and we haven’t spoken for even longer than that. I also know that we have a, let us say - heinous, background, but rest assured that it doesn’t affect your case in the least. I am a professional, and any animosity between us from the past can stay there._

_As for the plan I mentioned in my previous letter. The first step that we have to take is collaborating with our star witness. You might not like it, but it is the strongest tool in our arsenal: Harry Potter._

_Harry has been one of the strongest proponents in getting you out of Azkaban, and he will testify that you seemed to be deteriorating during Sixth year at Hogwarts, which we all know was the year you had the task of finishing the Vanishing Cabinet, and killing Headmaster Dumbledore._

_You might not be aware of this fact, but Harry was present at the Astronomy Tower when you confronted Dumbledore, and he heard you saying that they were threatening your mother’s life if you didn’t finish the Cabinet and kill the Headmaster._

_Harry also states that you lowered your wand._

_Mr. Malfoy, I am not going to lie. I trust Harry with my life. With more than that. When he told me this, I knew that I would do anything to get you out. You were a child of your circumstances and the upbringing that I hope you don’t agree with anymore. Either way, you do not deserve Azkaban for the crimes, or rather mistakes of a child._

_I am eager to see what you think of this first step._

_Hermione Granger_

_Barrister at law_

_Wizengamot_

_Ministry of Magic_

Draco took in a deep breath followed by a shuttered exhale. There was so much said in between the lines of that letter. She wrote so formally, yet she filled the paper with lines full of compassion. She wanted the past to stay behind them. Did that mean that she had forgiven him for the things he’d done to her? For the suffering he’d caused?

Draco knew that she was a good person, which made it clear to him that even if she’d forgiven him already, she deserved his apologies more than anyone else. 

With renewed vigor and a sense of urgency, he grabbed the quill, and wrote on the back side of her letter. 

_Granger,_

_Firstly, I know that you’re my lawyer, and I bet that you’re the best one out there. You deserve all the respect, but for me you’ll always be Granger, and I will call you that with your permission. I hope that it’s alright with you._

_Secondly, I am sorry._

_It eats me up inside that I can’t say this to your face, but I am sorry for my treatment of you. For the bullying, the name-calling, and the prejudice I carried with me. You say that I’m a child of circumstances, and that may be true, but a person has to form their own opinions, morals, and build their character up off of that. I am sad to say that I was too late._

_Either way, I count myself lucky to have you in my corner, because I know that when Hermione Granger sets her mind on something, it gets done. How do I know this you might ask?_

_You see, I have always admired you. I’ve seen the strength you have inside, and the endless amount of compassion you carry. You are a formidable witch!_

_I am also very humbled by Harry Potter. Please thank him for me._

_It is true what he says._

_Please call me Draco._

* * *

_Draco,_

_Good news! The first session of your case has gone through the Wizengamot, and it was a success, with Harry’s testimony. I daresay that I saw some surprised faces on the panel, which means that we have their attention._

_I thank you for your apology. It means a lot to me, and I look forward to the day you can show me in person, the new man you’ve become._

_As for your case, the next step is the testimony of another person that you might disapprove of, but it will further cement your case in our favour: Ronald Weasley._

_Ron will testify to your unwillingness to identify myself, Harry and him when we were brought to Malfoy Manor by the Snatchers._

_What were your thoughts during that event?_

_You may call me Granger, since you are so persistent..._

What a cheeky witch, Draco thought. How could she be so matter of fact, yet still make him feel as if she's flirting with him. He knows that he's reading into context that doesn't exist, and it's probably due to his desperation for something real outside of the walls of Azkaban. But damn all if her words weren't invigorating him. Which seemed ridiculous since they've only had few very formal exchanges.

_Granger,_

_You forgive me, just like that? You truly are remarkable!_

_I do not know what I've done to deserve it, but I'll gladly take everything you give me. I am a Slytherin after all._

_As for the day at the Manor._

_Those moments in my life are prominent in my nightmares every night. I don't know if I deserve Ronald Wesley's testimony, because I always think of the cowardice I showed and the things I should've done instead._

_When my crazy aunt had you under her blade I was screaming internally -”she's just a child, like me!”... I should've used an Unforgivable on her to save you, but Granger, I'm so sorry once again. I was too afraid of what would happen to my parents, and me if I did anything. Still, I couldn't let them know it was you three. You were the hope everyone was holding on to, myself included._

_Please thank Weasley for me._

_Speaking of Weasley, I thought you two would be married by now?_

_Draco_

Draco hoped that his letter fully conveyed how he felt about that day in the Manor. He had been questioning everything he'd believed in before then, but that was somehow a pivotal moment in his life. He so hoped that he'd brought a smile to her face with his Slytherin comment. Most of all though, there was this unexplainable hope that she would let him know that she was not together with Weasley. 

* * *

_Dear Draco,_

_You gave me a good laugh reading your letter! Yes, I believe that you are the quintessential Slytherin, but that was not what had me in tears._

_It's been years since someone asked whether me and Ron were together!_

_We did give it a go towards the end of the war, but we quickly realized that it was too awkward - like dating a family member!_

_No, I am in fact single._

_On to your case, - Ron’s testimony went flawless, and I believe that my next witnesses are more for show, because we’ve practically won the case!_

_Tomorrow, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, and Garrick Ollivander will testify that you helped them while they were being held in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. They have told me that you provided them with food even though they were supposed to be starved, and that you volunteered on their nightly watch so that they wouldn’t be tortured by the more vicious Death Eaters._

_They even claim that you tried to help them escape by using Blood Magic. Mr. Ollivander told me that it backfired due to Bellatrix's last minute decision to start your Occlumency training, and after she figured what you were doing gave you a choice right there and then in those dungeons. A Crucio for you... Or the prisoners._

_Luna told me that she noticed tremors in your hands for days following the incident._

_See Draco, this is why I am fighting day and night for your freedom. You’re a good man._

_As always, I look forward to your letter._

Draco was once again struck by her letter. He remembered those awful nights when his classmates, and the man that had helped him choose his most precious possession, were held in the depths of his home as if they were rodents. Following the events in the Astronomy tower, and Dumbledore's death, seeing them behind those bars had only increased his struggle with accepting the backwards ways of his forefathers, and the terrible existence that his parents had forced him into. 

It was amazing how much clearer he saw those past events now. How much clearer he saw himself. And Hermione. Once again scrutinizing her, but through a different lens, his awe for her seemed to increase with each breath he took. 

Seeing her proclaim that she was single cemented the strange sense of hope that was awoken within him. This was something he couldn’t wrap his mind around. What was he hoping for, really?

Sitting there in his cell, he figured that he didn’t have much more left to lose. Just like hindsight, reaching the bottom has a strange way of making you see things differently. 

So he penned an honest letter in return.

_Granger,_

_Aren’t we all magical folks so very prideful? When we enter school at Hogwarts, we’re immediately divided by some old system that looks at, what seems to be, surface traits of children. Or, maybe there’s some old Magick at play with the Sorting Hat that we’ll never understand. Either way, no matter what house you end up in, one trait connects us all - and it’s pride. Gryffindors are the classical lion, whose pride would be wounded with any lost match in life. Not to speak of Slytherin, my own house, that takes such pride in ancestry that we seem oblivious to the atrocious behaviours of current generations. Aren’t Ravenclaws proud in their intelligence, that they see everyone else as beneath them in some ways? And Hufflepuffs are the kindest ones of course, but to be selfish and cruel sometimes is only human, so to look down on people that aren’t always perfect, and taking pride in your perceived goodness - well isn’t the Muggle saying “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”?_

_What I want to say with this rambling, is that - as much as I retain what I’ll refer to as “The Hogwarts Pride”, I have felt the polar opposite since you reached out to me._

_Humbled..._ _I am so very humbled - by you, by Potter and Weasley, by those people that were held in the home that is bearing my name, stripped of their freedom._

_But my humility doesn’t make me feel low about myself, rather it’s the raised regard for all of you that brings me to a more level ground._

_If you indeed manage to get me out of Azkaban, I look forward to thanking all of you in person._

_Especially you, Hermione…_

_I think of you often._

_I lie… I think of you constantly. How much effort you must be putting on my case. My freedom. The effort you have put in seeing something in me that I hadn’t known existed there all along._

_I keep imagining you in your chambers at work; surrounded by a countless amount of books, taking your time to read my letters. Deigning to write more than the perfunctory word back._

_Daydreaming of you sure beats the bleak reality of my existence._

_Draco._

After he’d sent that letter, he felt embarrassed. He wished he had his hair to grip in mortification. Instead he had to contend with the feel of smooth skin on his head, as he paced his small cell. 

He didn’t regret writing her the truth about the increased presence she had in his mind. Or the slight nature of where those thoughts often led. 

Well, there was nothing for it. What was done, was done. It would not help to ponder on things you could not change, since the magic had already taken his letter away, and Granger was probably halfway done with her response to him.

* * *

Draco was in shambles. He had expected a quick response from Granger following his last letter, but the whole day had gone, followed by a restless night, followed by a tasteless breakfast. 

Still no letter. 

It was already dark outside when the dinner tray appeared, with a side of a long awaited answer.

_Draco,_

_I apologize for the late answer, I was getting ready to respond to your letter yesterday immediately after I read it, but there was an emergency that called me away, and today I’ve spent all day in session regarding your case._

_Any day now Draco, you’ll be a free man!_

_Instead of sending the letter I wrote yesterday, I wanted to write a new one. I’ve had time to think, and I see how open you are with me. I see the honesty. With every letter I see the changed man you are._

_I thank you for confiding in me._

_And I’ve never thought of it that way, but yes, we are such a prideful people! As a Muggle-born, I have the privilege of understanding that though. The world mostly consists of non-magical beings, but the most fantastical stories that muggles have written, - and read daily, include magic. Every little boy and girl has dreams about magic!_

_So our Wizarding Community is so extraordinary that pride comes as a side effect. Being humble is a virtue Draco, and it makes you a better person, but please make sure to retain that pride as you are an exceptional person. Most of all because you’ve seen your faults and have dared to change._

_I confess, I often think of you, sitting in that cell. What it must feel like for a man like you to be confined like that. I remember you Draco Malfoy. I remember who you were. So, I can imagine the existence that you’ve lived, to have made you into the person I can’t wait to meet._

_But I assure you, I am far from interesting, although I am surrounded by books. When you get out of Azkaban, surely you’ll find more interesting things to daydream about._

_Hermione._

The optimism Draco felt had more to do with Hermione’s open belief in him, than the thought that he might be free soon. Very, very soon. It felt like a balm to the soul to see her writing about how she sees his character. To see her words proclaiming that she can’t wait to meet him. That she’s thinking about him. _That she can’t wait to meet him!_

It filled him with nerves and anticipation, thinking about seeing her. What does she look like now? Last time he saw her, she was a force to be reckoned with, full of fury in her eyes, and her dirt streaked face determined to have the light side win in the Final Battle of Hogwarts. Her beauty couldn’t be denied. 

What would she think of seeing him? The weight he’d lost. The hair that he was known for - gone. 

Would she recoil, or would she see the man that she’d connected with over their numerous letters?

He had hope, but felt like he could afford to bare some more of himself to her. So that she really understood how much she has come to mean to him. Outside of being the one that would give him his freedom, of fighting for him, she had also allowed him to show her who he is now. 

* * *

_Granger,_

_You are by far the most interesting being out there, and this doesn’t come from a man that has not seen a soul in a very long time. No, even before, you were the biggest puzzle I wanted to solve._

_I was taught that you’d be beneath me, but your brilliance secretly burned through all my misconceptions._

_I want to see that brilliance now. I think about that brilliance now._

_Also your beauty. Last time I saw you, walking on that battlefield. Beauty._

_Your pure, brilliant beauty, warms me on the coldest nights._

_Draco._

* * *

_Draco,_

_Muggle quotes, and Lord Byron. I saw the muggle books you had secreted away in your room at Malfoy Manor, when they brought in any evidence from their initial raids. I am surprised, yet it seems so natural. Draco Malfoy, thinking of Byron, thinking of me._

_I have never been confident, but from your words I see my beauty._

_I wonder, what else do you see?_

_What else do you do?_

_Hermione_

* * *

_Granger,_

_I am afraid that I would scare you off if I told the truth of what I see. Of what I do._

_But yet, I wonder, such a brave woman like you would not scare easily._

* * *

_I am brave, and you don’t scare me. You intrigue me. Fascinate me._

_Please tell me, are you fantasizing of me?_

_What are you doing while fantasizing… of me…_

_You can tell me anything._

_Please tell me everything._

* * *

  
  


_Hermione,_

_There is no warmth in a place like this. The bed can barely be called that. The sounds are always distracting._

_But when I imagine you, sitting in your comfortable chair in your chambers, running the quill that we share along the swell of your lips, I get filled with a deep warmth._

_When I imagine my words having an effect on you, increasing your heart rate, and accelerating your breath, the warmth that fills me spreads through my blood - softening my heart and hardening my body._

_I imagine your breath catching on my next phrase: I want you to touch yourself._

_Yes, I want you to come undone in your chambers at the thought of my fingers trailing along your heated skin, my lips on your most intimate parts, our bodies connected until there is nowhere else to go._

_Before you, I had no desire left in me, but Hermione, now I’m burning. I’m yearning for you._

  
  


* * *

_Draco,_

_I am a very pragmatic person, and I always strive for professionalism, but your letters have me breaking all the rules._

_I touched myself._

_This Draco that I know from your letters, this new you that I’m getting to know through the written word, has awoken something in me._

_It wasn’t my intention, but I feel a connection to you that I never would have imagined._

_How can you evoke these feelings through paper? Perhaps it’s time for me to accept the fact that I am a logophile! Words have always had a great effect on me._

_Your words though..._

_You have me burning as well._

_I couldn’t resist running the quill along my lips, thinking of your fingers gripping it as you were writing about your pride and humility. What a man it takes to confess his faults._

_I couldn’t resist running the quill further down my neck, imagining your fingertips gently following the same path, down my collar bone, skimming over my breast. Touching me delicately just to tease, because you know I yearn for your strong hands._

_When my own hand touched my core, I imagined it was you - a free man seeking pleasure in the flesh you’ve been denied for so long._

_It was an intense explosion of all my senses, as your name left my lips at the peak of it._

* * *

Draco was undone after that letter. Without any shame, he read it multiple times, getting himself off on imagining all the things she had done to bring pleasure to herself. Of all the things he’d like to do to her. Of the ways she could touch him, once he was a free man. 

He’d penned another letter that same night, thinking that they would have the same quick correspondence that they’d had the past couple of nights, so when no letters came he was first disappointed. 

Then he remembered that she was his lawyer after all. She was probably busy with his case. 

On the second day he tried to remind himself of the fact once again, but doubt and fear had begun creeping in. Maybe he’d scared her off, even though she said she wanted it. 

By the third day he was once again in shambles. 

How can hope take so much to be built up, yet so little to crumble. 

It felt like the Dementors were back, filling him with despair. He was more scared of losing the communication with her, than losing his chance for freedom. 

It was on the fourth day, in the early morning light, when he laid curled up in a ball on his cot, that the tray materialized even though breakfast was not yet to be served. 

On the tray laid a single letter.

He once again marveled at hope - what a fickle thing…

Filled with euphoria, he opened the letter, not knowing what to expect. 

It only said: _I have big news._

Nothing else! What was he supposed to do with that? Had she won? Was he a free man? Would he see her soon?

He didn’t know what to expect. So he decided to have faith in her, which had been eluding him in the past four days. But he trusted her, so he just laid down in his cot once again, this time falling into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

He hears a sound he can’t place at first. A rhythmic, determined sound. It grows louder and louder, nearing his cell.

His heart thumps harder and harder, following the beat of the _click, clack, click, clack..._

And there she is, in all her glory, the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, blinding him with her light, looking at him with a fierce determination. He imagines that she must be a little shocked at his appearance, and the lack of his signature hair. But the burning is there. He can see it. She's burning for him too. Just like she wrote in her letter.

For him though, he knows it is more.

If you'd had asked Draco before, he would have said that there is no such thing as love at first sight. There is lust at first sight yes, but not love. How can you love someone you don't know?

But now Draco believes with all his heart, ready to worship at this altar - that he had fallen utterly and completely in love, at second sight.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks again to QuinTalon for their hard work, and thank YOU so much, dear reader, for taking the time to look at my work, and read my story. Kudos are appreciated, and all comments are welcome! Much love to you all!
> 
> *Lord Byron reference - She Walks in Beauty


End file.
